In the midst of difficult circumstances, a young girl growing up neglected in a dysfunctional family inadvertently embarks on a spiritual journey after discovering a friend within who helps her learn to trust her perspective.
Leaving Cleveland is a memoir about examining the toxic voices that so many of us internalized from our families of origin and learning to choose for ourselves which messages are healthy, and which are not.
“A revelation. More than a coming-of-age story, with humor and beautiful detail, Leaving Cleveland describes how a smart, creative and strong-willed young girl found a path to survive (and even thrive) despite parental neglect, psychological abuse and being raised in a suburban wasteland. It is a horror story with a happy ending that leaves the reader in awe of its plucky heroine.”
—Jim Stark, independent film producer and scriptwriter
